The Neuroscience Institute (NI) in collaboration with the Urban Child Institute hosted their annual Brain Awareness Night on March 21 at the Urban Child Institute, with talks centering on the brain's role in obesity. John D. Boughter, Jr. , Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology and NI member, opened the symposium with a talk about how our sense of taste engages parts of our brain involved in eating and reward, and how food selection at a young age may help a child’s brain develop into making healthier food choices later in life. The Keynote speaker was Amanda S. Bruce, Ph.D., assistant professor, in the Department of Psychology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, who spoke on the topic of branding and a child’s brain. Her research focus and talk were about the relationship between foodmarketing and childhood obesity using neuroimaging techniques. As always, the event was open to the public and included UTHSC faculty, staff and students. The event was organized by Paul Herron, Ph.D. of the NI and Anatomy & Neurobiology, and moderated by NI director, William E. Armstrong, Ph.D.

It was at The Urban Child Institute on Thursday, March 21st from 6:30-8:30.